Football: Wanderers teed up for Upper Hutt

Bruce Barclay.

They have lost two key players but Havelock North Wanderers will still throw down the gauntlet to Upper Hutt City today.

The villagers will kick off at 1pm today against the hosts at the artificial Maidstone Park in Wellington in round two of the national knockout Chatham Cup match.

While Havelock North coach Bruce Barclay played against Upper Hutt in his heyday, none of his troops knows much about the Capital One League campaigners.

"We've got a bit of pressure in the league so we just want to release the pressure valve by hitting the road and enjoying ourselves a little," says Barclay, whose Lotto Federation League side pipped Gisborne Thistle 4-3 at Guthrie Park in the opening round last month.

Upper Hutt, who are leading their league (which is two below the Lotto Central League), beat fellow league campaigners Brooklands 2-1 in their cup opener.

Former Petone coach Mark Foster is at the helm of former Central League side Upper Hutt who were last season relegated from the Capital Premier League but believe they can return to the second-tier competition at the end of this season.

Barclay's boys are missing prolific goal scorer Gregory Harrison who has left for the United States to work at a summer camp while captain Jared Bloor is serving a two-match suspension for violent conduct at home in a tempestuous but 5-1 flogging Fed League affair against Wanganui City.

The second-placed visitors are aware of Upper Hutt's ascendancy in their league but Barclay will need to rev up his men who could only manage a 1-1 draw against sixth-placed Promotem Port Hill United at Guthrie Park on Saturday.

"One side was trying to score goals and the other was sitting back but we have to be better than that," he said.